Suffering as a gift - Hope pt2 -

We pray for peace, comfort for our families, protection while we sleep.

We pray for healing, we pray for prosperity.

We pray for your mighty hand to ease our sufferings.

And all the while, you hear each spoken need,

yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.

You see, for Laura, God had always seen God as a kind of handyman.

When something goes wrong, you simply dial up in prayer and God fixes it.

But with the news of this brain tumour and her husband's illness,

it appeared that God was no longer loving and no longer powerful.

You see, like Laura, we can think the only good thing God can ever do is to heal and ease our sufferings.

But as the song says, the last line,

yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.

In other words, suffering in the loving hands of God can be used for good in our lives

and in the lives of others and ultimately for God's glory.

A key verse that we've been thinking about through this series is Romans 8.28,

which says,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

In all things, in every suffering of life,

when cancer strikes, when depression weighs us down,

when an accident takes a loved one,

when circumstances overwhelm us,

in all things, in every suffering of life,

God works for good.

That doesn't mean that suffering is itself good.

Rather, all suffering in the hands of God is used for good purposes.

As the author Joni puts it,

God uses what he hates to accomplish what he loves.

So rather than see suffering as a curse,

through the eyes of Christ we can see it as a gift

we can thank God for.

So this morning we're going to follow on from where we finished last week

and together we're going to see five more ways God uses suffering

for good purposes.

So purpose number one.

Embracing suffering as a gift

produces a Christ-like beauty.

Have a look at James chapter 1.

James 1 · chapter mention

If we're Christians,

we all want, or at least we should desire,

to become more Christ-like.

Let me read chapter 1, verse 2.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work

so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.

The goal or the results of suffering can lead to,

look at the end of verse 4,

a life that is mature,

complete,

and not lacking anything.

Or as I've summarised,

suffering produces a Christ-like beauty.

Let's see how that works out.

Look at verse 2.

Consider it pure joy,

my brothers and sisters,

whenever you face trials.

Not if you face trials,

but whenever you face trials.

The Christian life doesn't guarantee

a suffering-free life.

We will suffer in all kinds of different ways.

But perhaps the greatest surprise

is not the fact that we will suffer,

but how we should think about our suffering.

Again, look at the beginning of verse 2.

Consider it pure joy.

How can we be joyful

when you're crippled up in pain

or you're grieving as you buried your loved one?

What's joyful about any of those circumstances?

Well, it doesn't mean we're to force a smile

or pretend that life is fun all the time.

Rather, as it says in verse 2,

we are to consider,

we are to think about how our trials

can be used for good

so we can be joyful

in what suffering produces in our life.

Verse 3,

because you know that the testing of your faith

produces perseverance.

Suffering nurtures.

It grows and it strengthens and fuels our faith

so that we persevere,

that we become steadfast,

that we are strong in our faith.

Family friends of ours

have had their fair share of suffering.

Their daughter was born with a severe disability

and needs 24-7 care.

As a young teen,

I remember talking to the dad about it all

and asking him

why God had allowed

this suffering in their lives.

And his answer was something like this.

He says,

Johnny,

I don't know all the reasons,

but it strengthens our faith

for what we may face in the future.

It strengthens our faith today

for what we may face in the future.

Suffering produces a perseverance,

a steadfastness.

But that's not the goal, is it?

It's not the completion of it.

Look at verse 4.

Let perseverance finish its work

so that you may be mature

and complete,

not lacking anything.

Suffering is not a good thing in and of itself,

but what it produces is good.

It can grow our faith

so that we become

all that God intends us to be,

which is to be Christ-like,

mature,

complete,

and not lacking anything.

You see,

from our earthly perspective,

when suffering comes,

usually suffering takes things from us.

It takes away our health.

It takes away our job security.

It can take away our loved ones.

But in the hands of God,

suffering gives to us.

It gives something back,

something deeper into our lives,

to the point of where we can say,

we lack nothing.

We lack nothing.

Even though things are stripped away,

we lack nothing.

Sam Albury put it like this,

suffering is an opportunity

to gain the most valuable thing on earth.

We gain something.

We receive the most valuable thing on earth,

a faith that is complete and lacking nothing.

Maturity and depth

in our relationship with God.

You see,

through suffering,

we become all that God wants us to be.

We become more beautiful in our character.

We love,

we comfort,

we give,

we serve.

So first,

embracing suffering as a gift

produces a Christ-like beauty.

Second,

embracing suffering as a gift

guarantees our future salvation.

I'm sure like me,

there are times you doubt and wonder

if you are ever going to enjoy

God's eternal kingdom.

That your faith,

because we fail so often,

we think,

I'm just not going to make it.

I keep slipping up and messing up.

Well,

suffering

can lead to an absolute assurance.

Just go on a couple of pages

to the next letter.

First Peter,

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

It's just on a couple of pages.

First Peter,

1 Peter 1:6

chapter 1,

verse 6.

It's a similar text

to the one we just read in James,

but there's a different emphasis.

1 Peter,

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

starting in verse 6.

In all this,

you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials.

These have come

so that the proven genuineness

of your faith

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes,

even though refined by fire,

may result in praise,

glory,

and honour

when Jesus Christ

is revealed.

So just like James,

Peter is saying

he wants us to be joyful.

Verse 6.

In this you greatly rejoice.

Well,

what's there to be joyful about?

Well,

he tells us in verse 3.

Praise be to the God

and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In his great mercy,

he's given us new birth,

that's a new beginning,

a new life,

into a living hope

through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ

from the dead

and into an inheritance

that can never perish,

spoil or fade,

and this inheritance

is kept in heaven for you.

So our future inheritance,

if we are Christians,

is secure.

A world to come

that is untouched,

by pain

and the heartache

of death.

A world to come

that is unspoiled

by the selfish,

evil actions of people.

This is our glorious inheritance

that we look forward to.

But what happens

when we go through trials

and my faith is rocked

and my doubts take over

and I think

I'm never going to get there

because I can't see

how it's ever possible.

Well, look at verse 7.

He says,

These have come.

God has allowed

trials in your life.

God has chosen

not to remove

the suffering

you are going through.

Why?

For what purpose?

Verse 7,

These have come

so that the proven

genuineness of your faith

of greater worth than gold

which perishes

even though refined by fire

may result in praise,

glory and honour

when Jesus Christ

is revealed.

Peter uses it

as an example

gold in a furnace.

Gold is still one of the most precious

and expensive metals

but before you can ever see

its true value

it's got to be put

in the furnace

and the raging temperatures

of the furnace

burn off everything

that is worthless

and impure

and what is left

is pure

genuine

gold.

Now here's the point

of what Peter

is getting at.

He's saying,

Look,

even at the end of time

pure gold

look at verse 7

he says,

Pure gold

will perish

but not

our faith in Christ.

There's a contrast.

Not our faith in Christ.

Our faith in Christ

is of greater value

and it's much more precious

than gold.

So when our faith

goes through

the fiery trials of life

when we go through

the furnace of suffering

when we face illness

or disappointments

and hurts

our faith

is being refined

and we can be in no doubt

whatsoever

that it will leave

a genuine

true

and pure faith

in Christ

so that

look at the end of verse 7

it will result in praise

and glory

and honour

when Jesus Christ

is revealed.

The very thing

the suffering

in the trials

which we fear

will trip us up

or cause us to fall

and not attain

or reach

our final glory

all of those things

are used by God

for good purposes

to guarantee

our future salvation.

Look at verse 9

For you are

as you go through

these trials

you are

receiving

the end result

of your faith

the salvation

of your souls

So second

embracing

suffering

as a gift

guarantees

our future salvation

So suffering

does us good

but these next two

is about how

suffering

is good

in the life

of others

our suffering

can mean good

in the lives

of others

So third

embracing

suffering

as a gift

enables us

to comfort

others

Go back to

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

which is on page

1159

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

which is on page

1159

9

So we're

working hard

looking

at the

texts

to see

how suffering

is used

for good

purposes

So when we

go through

our struggles

each one of us

longs and desires

to be

comforted

We want

comfort

Well look at

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:3

1 verse 3

Praise be

to the God

and Father

of our Lord

Jesus Christ

the Father

of compassion

and the God

of all comfort

who comforts

us in all

our troubles

so that we

can comfort

those in any

trouble

with the

comfort

we ourselves

receive

from God

One of the

books

that I've

encouraged

to buy

there's a

copy of it

on the

back table

written by

Paul Mallard

as he talks

about his

own wife's

experience

of suffering

she has

an incurable

disease

which they

can't seem

to quite

diagnose

and he

comments

on these

verses

and he

explains it

almost in

three steps

he says

troubles

and sufferings

flow into

our lives

and as we

go through

the troubles

the comfort

of God

floods

into our

lives

and from

this overwhelming

flood of

comfort

is an

overflowing

of comfort

into the

lives of

those

who suffer

so picture

it this way

troubles

flow into

our life

the comfort

of God

floods in

and that

comfort

overflows

to others

in their

pain and

hurts

you see

God is not

immune to

the troubles

we go

through

look at

verse 3

it tells us

he is the

father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ

the father

who comforted

his son

through his

life

and ministry

is the

same

father

who comforts

us

through our

faith in

Christ we

have a

relationship

with the

father

that the

son

enjoyed

and

experienced

so God

our father

sees us

he understands

and he

responds to

us his

children

with

compassion

he comes

alongside

this is what

it means

to comfort

he draws

alongside

he enters

into our

suffering

and he

supports us

he steadies

us

he strengthens

us

and encourages

us

Martin

Luther

once said

three things

make a

great

pastor

prayer

meditation

and

suffering

because

Luther had

come to

understand

that through

his own

sufferings

and struggles

he came

to experience

God's love

and encouragement

in a deeper

way

and it

enabled him

to understand

the suffering

of others

who he

cared for

and how

he then

in turn

could bring

the comfort

of God

into their

lives

and I think

that's so true

in our own

experience

think about

some of the

most caring

compassionate

and comforting

people

that you

know

invariably

they are

people who

suffer terribly

in their

own lives

why is

that

because

through

their

trials

they've

learned to

embrace

suffering

as a

gift

and have

experienced

God's

comfort

flood

into their

lives

and in

turn

it overflows

it bubbles

out from

them

into the

life

of others

things

I wonder

if you've

ever thought

of your

suffering

in that

light

before

look at

verse 6

Paul continues

he says

if we are

distressed

if we go

through a

personal trial

or trouble

he says

it's for

your

comfort

and salvation

and if

we're

comforted

if we

experience

the comfort

of God

well that

too is

for your

comfort

which will

produce

in you

patient

endurance

of the

same

sufferings

we

suffer

so our

suffering

can be

wasted

if the

comfort

we receive

from God

is never

passed

on

God

our

sovereign

father

allows

suffering

in the

life

of his

children

so that

we

experience

the

flooding

in of

his

compassion

so that

the

comfort

we

receive

may

overflow

into

the

life

of

others

and

there

may

be

a

day

when

those

who

you

comfort

today

will

be

those

very

people

who

will

comfort

you

in

the

future

so

third

embracing

suffering

as a

gift

enables

us

to

comfort

others

fourth

so we've

looked at

two ways

in which

the

God

uses

suffering

for good

in our

own

lives

and

how

now

it

leads

to

the

good

of

others

for

their

comfort

and

fourth

embracing

suffering

as a

gift

leads

to

the

salvation

of

others

just

jump

on a

page

to

2

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter

4

throughout

history

God has

used

the

suffering

of his

people

to bring

salvation

to other

people

listen

to what

Paul

says

chapter

4

verse

10

read

carefully

he

says

we

always

carry

around

in

our

body

the

death

of

Jesus

so

that

the

life

of

Jesus

may

also

be

revealed

in

our

body

for

we

who

are

alive

are

always

being

given

over

to

death

for

Jesus

sake

so

that

his

life

may

also

be

revealed

in

our

mortal

body

so

then

death

is at

work

in

us

but

life

is at

work

in

you

in

death

comes

life

just

as the

suffering

and death

of

Jesus

Christ

results

in

our

salvation

as we

trust

him

so

our

sufferings

and

even

our

death

is

used

by

God

to

enable

others

to

see

the

salvation

that

is

in

Christ

look at

verse

12

so

then

death

is at

work

in

us

but

life

is at

work

in

you

in

other

words

suffering

and death

is not

just the

content

of

our

message

so

we

proclaim

a

message

that

is

about

a

suffering

Christ

so

it's

not

just

our

message

but

it's

also

the

methods

the

means

God

uses

let me

illustrate

this

for

you

I've

been

reading

a

number

of

biographies

recently

written

by

John

Piper

21

servants

of

God

and

one

of

those

servants

was

a

man

called

John

Patton

in

1858

so

a

good

time

ago

John

Patton

was

a

Scottish

missionary

and

he

sailed

for

the

New

Hebrides

which

is

a

collection

of

about

80

islands

way

down

in

the

South

Pacific

those

islands

at

that

time

were

not

an

easy

place

to

live

they

were

described

as

cannibals

they

sometimes

ate

the

flesh

of

their

defeated

enemies

they

practiced

infanticide

they

would

murder

children

and

widow

sacrifice

so

if

the

husband

had

died

they

would

sacrifice

the

widow

so

that

she

would

be

of

use

to

her

husband

in

the

world

to

come

so

he

reached

these

islands

with

his

wife

and

their

newborn

son

in

the

November

four

months

later

after

arriving

on

those

islands

tragedy

struck

Patton

writes

in

his

diary

he

says

then

in

a

moment

altogether

unexpectedly

she

that is

my

wife

died

on

March

the

third

to

crown

my

sorrows

and

complete

my

loneliness

the

dear

baby

boy

whom

we

named

after

her

father

Peter

Robert

Robson

was

taken

from

me

after

one

week

sickness

on

March

20th

to

compound

the

loss

of

his

own

wife

and

son

in

those

first

few

months

for

the

following

four

years

Patton

faced

constant

attack

from

the

islanders

he

suffered

awful

sickness

and

fevers

that

left

him

falling

in

and

out

of

consciousness

he

escaped

the

islands

but

he

returned

again

four

years

later

with

a

new

wife

Mary

and

he

served

on

those

islands

for

another

41

years

and

at

the

age

of

63

Patton

wrote

this

he

says

recall

what

the

gospel

has

done

on

the

new

Hebrides

the

island

where

he

served

12,000

have been

brought

to sit

at the

feet

of

Christ

and

133

have

been

trained

and

sent

forth

as

teachers

and

preachers

of

the

gospel

and

as

Patton's

account

was

heard

and

read

throughout

the

world

it

moved

literally

thousands

of

people

to

go

to

the

unreached

peoples

of

the

world

and

many

more

nations

were

reached

and

people

came

to

Christ

looking

back

over

his

hardships

and

the

sufferings

that

he

went

through

through

his

life

he

wrote

this

often

times

while

passing

through

the

perils

and

defeats

of

my

first

four

years

in

the

mission

field

I

wondered

why

God

had

permitted

such

things

but

on

looking

back

now

I

already

clearly

perceive

that

the

work

could

never

have

been

accomplished

but

for

the

sufferings

pattern

is an

example

of what

we've

just

read

in

verse

10

have

a look

at

again

we

always

carry

around

in

our

body

the

death

of

Jesus

so

that

the

life

of

Jesus

may

also

be

revealed

in

our

body

now

I'm

quite

sure

we're

not

going

to

walk

out

of

here

and

face

cannibals

or

fever

we may

never

face

the

loss

of

one

of

our

children

but

if

we

are

believers

we

will

suffer

but

this

does

not

disqualify

us

in

God's

means

it

qualifies

us

we

have

a

message

of

a

suffering

Christ

and

God

uses

the

sufferings

of

his

people

who

learn

to

lean

upon

him

and

depend

upon

him

to

bring

that

same

message

of

Christ

to

a

dying

world

so

verse

12

so

then

death

is at

work

in

us

but

life

is

at

work

in

you

so

forth

embracing

suffering

as a

gift

leads

to

the

salvation

of

others

and

then

last

embracing

suffering

as a

gift

displays

the

glory

of

God

so

often

we

can

think

that

the

only

good

thing

God

could

ever

do

is

to

heal

or

to

ease

our

suffering

but

suffering

in the

hands

of our

loving

sovereign

father

is not

only good

for us

it's not

only good

for others

it is

ultimately

for

God's

glory

look at

chapter 4

verse 15

all this

all the

trials

and

struggles

the

sufferings

that we

may go

through

he says

is for

your

benefit

so that

the

grace

that is

reaching

more and

more

people

may cause

thanksgiving

to

overflow

to

the

glory

of

God

you

see

when we

embrace

suffering

as a

gift

when

God

uses

it

for

good

purposes

in

our

lives

in

the

lives

of

others

we

display

the

greatness

and

the

beauty

of

God

God

takes

the

worst

things

the

worst

tragedies

the

worst

experiences

of

our

lives

he

takes

them

all

and

he

uses

them

for

good

purposes

he

makes

us

more

Christ

like

guaranteeing

our

future

inheritance

he

enables

us

through

our

suffering

to

comfort

others

and

to

cause

salvation

to

flow

to

others

that

is

something

glorious

that

he

can

take

such

tragedy

and

bring

about

such

beauty

our

suffering

puts

the

greatness

and

beauty

of

God

on

display

if

you

could

picture

it

this

way

imagine

walking

into

a big

art

gallery

and

all

along

the

walls

are

these

portraits

and

you

look

at

them

each

one

and

you

study

and

you

are

just

amazed

at

the

detail

and

you

go

wow

such

detail

but

as

you

travel

along

as

you

walk

down

the

corridor

looking

at

those

portraits

at

the

very

end

there's

this

enormous

portrait

and

it's

a

self

portrait

of

the

artist

himself

and

you

just

gaze

in

wonder

each

one

leading

up

to

something

more

magnificent

well

can

you

picture

it

like

this

that

you

are

like

a

portrait

on

the

wall

of

God's

gallery

and

as

people

walk

through

life

and

they

look

at

your

life

they

see

the

sufferings

the

struggles

the

trials

that

you

go

through

they

see

a

glimpse

a

display

of

something

beautiful

and

glorious

of

something

God

is

doing

in

your

life

and

as

they

travel

down

through

that

gallery

at

the

end

is

well

the

greatest

self

portrait

of

God

himself

of

Christ

on

the

cross

a

display

of

his

glory

and

greatness

and

his

sufferings

and

all

that

it

achieves

for

the

world

end

of

verse

15

the

grace

that

is